Big Pit National Coal Museum — GLO and working with Polish communities

The issue All Poles that featured the exploits of European emigrants who came to work in the coal mines of Wales after the Second World War is a favourite issue of many readers.

It tells the stories of young men who came to Wales after years of hardship, danger and tragedy. Those who stayed in the mines earned a lasting reputation for toughness and hard work.

They married local women and settled down to raise families. Although proud of their original homelands, most are now equally proud to call themselves Welsh. In turn Wales is proud of them and the part they have played in our history.

Based on the success of All Poles, further issues of Glo have been produced. It has turned out to be a true people’s history publication and continues to grow in popularity.

It has become an excellent way in which individuals as well as community and specialist groups engage with us, sourcing and recording oral history, and adding to the Museum’s collection of objects related to the coal industry.

Future issues of Glo will feature stories of from the North Wales coalfield, stories of miners who served in our armed forces during various wars and stories from Big Pit itself.

It is these real-life experiences, told by people who were actually there, that help others understand Wales’s rich and diverse histories. If you have a story you would like to share please get in touch.

In AD 75, the Romans built a fortress at Caerleon that would guard the region for over 200 years. Today at the National Roman Legion Museum you can learn what made the Romans a formidable force and how life wouldn't be the same without them.